Shakespeare, William [The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice]. Otello, Venetsianskii Mavr.

Translation by Boris Pasternak.
Cover by N. Il'in.

Moskva, GIKhL, 1945.
8vo, 140 pp.

In original wrappers.
In good condition, lightly rubbed, small loss to front cover corner, tears to spine, owner mark to title page.

Second edition of 'Otello' in Pasternak's translation. First edition was a collotype edition and unofficial (300 copies only). It's practically unobtainable. One of 25 000 copies printed.

This translation was intended for production in the Maly Theatre in Moscow ('which put spurs to me and hurried up'). Pasternak finished the translation in July 1944. Olga Freudenberg, philologist and Pasternak's cousin, wrote that he translated ''Othello' not only in the Russian language but on the meaning of language'. Nevertheless, Pasternak translated 'Othello' against his will: 'It seems to me as a former member of the family... and I terribly simplified it'. In a scene where Othello stifles Desdemona, Pasternak added the remark 'poniard her'.

Zakharenko, 1995. # 115.

OCLC locates two copies of this edition: in the University of Cambridge Library and the University of Birmingham Library.